Toni Morrison's Nobel Lecture Focus On The Power Of Language

Toni Morrison’s Nobel lecture centered on the power of language. Her speech was memorable in that it brought awareness to the degradation of language today. The common man is using language today to oppress others, whether it is through a sexist, racist, or theistic language. Morison mentions the nefarious uses of language, as there are “rousing language to keep citizens armed, diplomatic language to mask the pity and waste of needless death, or seductive language to throttle women.” I thought this was powerful because it made readers realize that language along with its positive uses can be used to hurt others and obscure the horrors of terrible events in the world. I strongly believe this form of language must be rejected, altered and exposed, believe language is essential for humanity, therefore it is our duty to respect language, as the “future of language is ours.”
We are all different, whether it is our age, religion, sex, or nationality, therefore, the fact that we don’t all look alike, think alike and believe alike, is what gives our lives meaning. As Morrison said, “We die. That may be the meaning of life. But we do language. That may be the measure of our lives." Therefore, Morrison was able to emphasize to readers the importance of respecting language, as it builds a foundation for our everyday